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(No Model.)

G. A. THOMPSON.

BROOM. No. 330,439. Patented Nov. 1'7, 1885.

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WASHINGTON, MISSOURI.

BROOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,439, dated November17, 1885.

Application filed February 10, 1885. Serial No. 155,537. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the county of Franklin and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brooms; andI dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the let ters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in brooms of that class in whichthe straw may be readily renewed by the user; and it consists in thedetails of construction,arrangement, and combination of the severalparts, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side view, part in section, of my improvement. Fig. 2 is adetail plan view of the cap. Fig. 3 represents the followerbar indetail. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrative of the operation of thelocking'sleeve. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the locking-sleeve. Fig. 6 isa detail side view of the lower end of the handle and the clamp, andFig. 7 is an edge view of the handle and clamp.

The clamp A is secured to the lower end of the handle B, and isprovidedwith a lower cross-bar, A, and upper cross-bar, A, side bars, AA and a follower, 0, having its ends slotted at O and fitted on andmovable along the side bars, A between the lower and upper cross-bars.The lower cross-bar is provided with openings act, which are internallythreaded to receive the set-screws D, which turn through the openings toand bear against the under side of the follower G in such manner as toadjust the follower toward and from the upper cross-bar.

In operation the straw is placed crosswise between the follower-bar andthe upper bar, and projects alike in opposite directions. By turning theset-screws D up, the follower-bar is adjusted against the straw andbinds the same against the upper cross-bar and in position. When soarranged, the broom may be used for scrubbing or other desired purposesindependently of the cap E; but Iprefer to use the cap, because it bendsthe opposite ends of the straws toward each other and into position foruse as a. sweeping-broom and retains them in such position. The cap E ismade in the form of the head of abroom, and is placed and movable on thehandle down over the clamp.

In practice when the straw is worn out the cap is moved up above theclamp, the screws D are released, the old straw removed, new strawinserted, and the screws tightened to clamp the follower-bar and fastenthe straw in place. The cap is then moved down to the position shown inFig. 1, bending the straw into proper position to form a broom of theusual shape. The cap is then fastened to the handle. This fastening maybe accomplished by a screw, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 4; but Iprefer to secure it by means of the locking-sleeve E, operating inconjunction with a pin, 6, on the handle. This pin 6 is arranged nearthelower end of the handle, and the cap is properly slotted or otherwiseformed to permit it to move past the said pin or stud c, as will beunderstood from Figs. 1, 2, and 4.. The sleeve E is formed with a slothaving wingsFand f. The wing F of the slot is cut from the lower end ofthe sleeve in the direction of length of same, and intersects the wingf, which is formed at right angles to the wing F, as shown.

In operation when the cap has been moved to the position shown in Fig.4, the locking sleeve is then moved downward, the pin or stud c enteringthe wing F until such pin comes opposite the wing f, when thelocking-sleeve is given a partial rotation to bring it into positionshown in Fig. 1, when the cap will be secured in position, as shown inFig. 1.

By the construction described it will be seen the broom may be suppliedwith fresh straw by the user, and all stitching is prevented.

I prefer in practice to extend the cap sufficiently forward below theclamp when in operative position to serve as a stiffener for the broom.

Having thus described myjinventiomwhat I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-- 1. In a broom, a straw-clamping frame attached tothehandle and composed of side bars, a base-bar having threadedopenings, a stop cross-bar, a followenbar sliding at each end whereby itmay be adjusted into engagement on the side bars, and clamping-screwsturned with the pin or stud and lock the cap in posithrough the openingsin the base -bar and tion, substantially as set forth. against thefollower-bar, substantially as set Intestimony whereof I affix mysignature in 5 forth. presence of two witnesses. Y

2. The combination of thehandlehaving the clamp attached to its lowerend and provided GEORGE THOMPSON with a radial pin or stud near suchend, and Witnesses: the cap movable along the handle, and the I. W.WIEMEYER,

1o locking-sleeve having a double-winged slot, ALBERT ROOHRIG.

